Vacuum cleaners are used extensively to collect alien substances such as dust, dirt and other soiling particles from soiled surfaces by means of a negative pressure created by a vacuum pump located within a main body. A flexible hose is typically pneumatically coupled to the vacuum pump. Various cleaning implements including various types of nozzles may be attached directly to the flexible hose or to a suction pipe itself attached to the distal end of the flexible hose. Nozzles of various configurations are typically provided for use in particular situations.
Most of these prior art vacuum cleaner nozzles have proven to be somewhat satisfactory when cleaning rugs having relatively short pile. However, such prior part vacuum cleaner nozzles have proven to be somewhat unsatisfactory for cleaning deep pile carpets, shag rugs and other surfaces having relatively long or loose strands.
Indeed, most prior art vacuum cleaner nozzles are not well adapted to remove the dirt and dust particles that are present between and below the fibers of the pile. When conventional vacuum cleaner nozzles are used over surfaces having relatively long strands, the latter are merely levelled by the nozzles during the cleaning operation. Such levelling tends to cover the dirt or other particles at the base of the strands thereby preventing the particles from being picked up by the vacuum.
Typically, it is only at the end of a cleaner stroke that the strands are picked up by the nozzle since stroke reversal mechanically pulls the strands to an upright position. This results in an unsightly situation since areas of the rug are flattened with tufts of upright strands at either end of those areas.
In order to circumvent these problems, rug manufacturers have suggested that the rugs be raked prior to cleaning in order to separate the strands so that the cleaner may pick up dirt between those strands. After vacuuming, the rug must be raked again to fluff the strands and to eliminate the matted strand areas. These operations are tedious and time consuming. Furthermore, they require the use of several implements. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved vacuum cleaner nozzle.